All the fish swimming around, involved in their various antics, the aggressive, not causing any damage or harm to the other fish- is an ideal compatible status of a fish tank.
In contrast if you see most of the fish crowd over at one point while a couple swim around unchallenged, or if you see a group of fish lying on their sides with noses above the surface of the water, then this isn't what compatibility is about! You have probably have a wrong combination of fish in your aquarium.
Before you buy Cichlids for your new tank. This is what you need to do.
Decide on the shop where you plan to buy the fishes and visit it several times. Observe the aquarium kept and talk with the people in the shop, getting to know about the varieties of fish that are available for sale. Enquire about livestock guarantee and ensure that the shop owner takes it seriously.
Most aquarium shop personnel are helpful and are willing to spare the time to tell you about the fish you can buy, given your budget and the size of the tank you plan to have.
On your visits you may come upon a lone fish in a tank. Find out why he has been isolated... It may be for a reason that you do not want repeated in the tank you set up.
These useful tips will help you populate the tank effectively
* Always purchase two or more fish at a time. If you buy one aggressive fish in the beginning, it becomes difficult to add on more docile ones later. However, there is less chance he would take on two new comers at a time.
* Carnivorous fish are aggressive; herbivorous are not - This is a MYTH and you need to remember that! Most African Cichlids are pure herbivores and quite the most aggressive fish in a tank!
* Being aggressive is really relative. If you think your tank will be better if you remove the most aggressive fish out of it..... what really happens is.. the second most aggressive fish establishes rule within the tank!
* Some fish are hyper active, some are very placid. Do not mix these varieties. Observe the tanks and the combination of fishes well to select fish with relatively same activity levels.
* By doing so you will avoid having an aquarium where two fishes rule the roost, while the rest crowd in a corner!
* Make a list in the following manner:
1. Make a list of all the fish you want to have in the tank, keeping in mind the size and your budget.
2. Find out as much as you can about these types by reading, research on the internet and asking other aquarium owners and the fish shop personnel. You must now know enough about them to identify the most aggressive and the least.
3. Sort them in a manner that the the first fish on the list has relatively the largest size and is relatively least aggressive.
4. So the last fish on this list will be a diminutive sized one, with the most aggressive tendency as compared to the other fish on the list.
5. The size of the fish according to which you sort is the size of a full grown fish, not the size of the fish when you buy it.
6. This is the order in which you will now buy the fish! By the time this is done, you would probably have added or deleted some names from the original list. No matter, you now have a list of fish you know will live together in relative compatibility!
7. Now go ahead and buy the first two fishes on the list... two fish that are large but docile.
8. After a couple of days, buy the next two fishes on the list; go on buying in this order until the tank is populated with just the number of fish you plan to rear.
The basic idea of this strategy is to have a tank full of fish living in good compatibility. In case an aggressive little fish wants a fight, he will refrain from it because of the huger fish around him!
Be cautious about these issues:
* If the fish shop personnel tell you that a particular specimen is "probably OK I guess", or "maybe not too aggressive" then do make it your business to find out EXACTLY how aggressive he is or how really fine the specimen is.
* Also get a second opinion about this fish.
* In a relatively peaceful tank think twice before you include African Cichlids... They are known to be highly aggressive.
* Observe the size of the fish's mouth. .If a fish has an enormously large mouth, never mind his puny size. A big mouthed fish usually has his companions in the tank for breakfast lunch and dinner! Never mind if the fish he want to swallow is twice his size... If his mouth is big then the big fish is MEAL!
* A very good example for this are the Haps of Lake Malawi, Africa. have you seen them? They are piscivorous fish species (fish eating) of the genus Haplochromis Hilgendorf.
* Another important thing you should remember is that most fishes of the same genus, color, feeding habits, shape, geographical location and behavior usually do not get along well.
Are you ready to start that aquarium? I recommend that you begin you research by reading "Aquarium Fish handbook: The Complete Reference from Anemonefish to Zamora Woodcats", by Derek Lamberts and Dick Mills. here's wishing you success in rearing the fish you always wanted to have.
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